Electrical switch



May 31, `1932. y N,-JWALSH ET AL 1,860,876

ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed May 1, 195o f/gz.

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gmemtow Patented J May 31 1932 contacts, means are provided for UNITED STATES ll ivraiwf OFFICE" NICOLAS J. WALSH ANI) WILLIAIiL. BUTLER, OIEA SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, AS- SIGNORS T0 WEBER ELECTRIC COHYANY, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, A.` CORPO- RATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRICAL SWITCH Application med Iay 1,

This invention relates to new and improvements in electrical switches, and

more particularly to the type known as snap or toggle switches involving an oscillatory commutator or switch element.

An important object ofthe invention is to provide a simplified construction for snap switches which enables the parts thereof to be rapidly assembled without special care and attention to fine adjustments of the parts or the Work ordinarilyincident to the mountin and assembly of the device. In this simpllfied construction, the switch or commutator blade is loosely mounted and, in order to insure proper movement of. the switch blade into engagement with the stationary guiding the movement of the switch'blade.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means for mounting such guide means securely in the switch casing in a manner to prevent its accidental displacement and 80- ployed to designate like parts throughout the 1 stationary contact pieces 13 and 14, each havto insure its being retained in proper cooperative` relationship with the stationary contacts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become` apparent during the course of the followingdescription.

In thev drawings forming a part of the application and wherein like numerals are emseveral views:

Fi re 1 is a topplan of a swltch embodyint e invention.

igure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on Y the l1ne 2 2 of 'Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view showlng the switch or commutator blade associated with the guide element.

Referring now more particularly to .the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a swltch casing of porcelain or any other/suitable 1nsulating material having a cavity 11 therein for the reception of a switch mechanism. The outer or relative top surface 12 of this casing is suitably recessed at opposite ends thereof for the support and attachment of ing the usual binding `post screw andbeing secured to `the casing bymeans of the well 1930. Serial No. 448,993.

known screws 15 extending through the casing from the back thereof. The end walls of the cavity 11 immediately beneath the stationary contact pieces 13 and 14, are provided with longitudinally aligned slots or slits land 17, as best seen in Figure 2 to receive lugs 18 and -19 provided at opposite ends of aide 20." This guide may assume various di erent forms and may be constructed from any suitable dielectric material, but, in the present instance, is illustrated as a thin, stiff sheet of insulating material. The 'lower edge portion 21 of this guide sheet is received'in a relatively lnarrow slot 22 provided in anarCuate embossed portion 23 on the bottom ofthe cavity 11. This slot 22 extends longitudinally of the cavity l1 and is arranged, of course, in alignment with Vthe slots 16 and v17. The edge of the guide sheet opposite the edge 21, intermediate its ends, is provided with a cut-out portion 24 for a urpose which will presently appear.

To or'm a support for the switch mechanism directly upon the insulating walls of the. casing 10, the side walls of the cavit 11 are provided with grooves 25 having Vy1 lshaped bottoms. An oscillatory yoke 26 has laterally extending flat trunnions 27 for support upon the V-shaped bottoms of ,the grooves 25. In this manner, the oscillatory yoke is fulcrumed substantially' on knifeedge portions'for rendering the oscillatory yo e easily shiftable from side to side.

One of these trunnions 27 forms a loosemounting for a switch blade assembly 28 is preferably composed of ay pair of juxta.

which has an opening 29 larger than the posed resilient plates normally engaging one y another, but parted upon engagement'with their respective stationary contacts 13 and 14 to clasp the same. Theresilient lates of each arm 30 are adapted tc'stradd e the guide sheet 20v and move freely across the same to be guided into engagement with the stationary contacts 16 and 17.

Diagonally opposite corners 31 of the guide sheet are removed or out away to permit the Contacting ends of the switch arm 30 to engage and clasp their respective stationary contacts when the switch blade is dis posed in on position. It will be noted that the stationary contact 13 is provided with a contact wing 32 overhanging the edge of the cavity 11 in the path of movement of the switch blade, and is arranged directly above the outer corner 31 of the guide sheet, while the other stationary contact 14 is provided with a portion depending into the cavitylll and terminating at its lower end in an angularly disposed contact wing133 arranged in the removed corner 31 of the guide sheet 20. Obviously, these cut-away diagonal corners of the guide sheet, permit the ends of the switch arms 30 to engage with the stationary Contact wings 32 and 33, and the cut-out portion 24 of the sheet permits of the switch blade assembly being disposed in proper cooperative relation therewith. It will also be obvious that the guide sheet 2() being'straddled by the switch blade assembly, will accurately guide the switch arms into engagement with the stationary contact wings, 'regardless of the fact that the switch blade assembly is loosely mounted upon the l oscillatory yoke trunnion 27.

As is customary in this type of switch,

the oscillatory yoke 26 is snapped iirst from4 one position to another by means of the well known type of spring arrangement between the bridge of the oscillatory yoke and operating lever or button 34 which is pivotally mounted in a bridge plate 35, spannin the cavity 1l and secured to the wallso the casing by means of screws 36 extending through the casing from the back thereof.

In this preferred form of the invention, the guide sheet 20 is made of laminated phenolic material but, obviousl any other suitable insulating material may employed. This guide sheet 20 is associated w1th the switch casing before the snap to gle mecha- Anism is assembled therein, byvsliding the projectin lugs 18 and 19 downinto the slots 16 and 1 respectively, of the casing. The stationary contact pieces 13 and 14 are then attached to the casing so that they overlap the lugs 18 and 19, and close the upper open ends of the slots 16 and 17, soasitoprevent accidental displacement of the `guide sheet. The inner edge 21 of this sheet is, of course, seated in the longitudinal slot 22 provided in the embossed portion 23 of the base, as explained hereinbefore, and this three-point en agement with the guide sheet retains it per ectly arallel to the side walls o the casing and 1n a plane at right angles to the axis of the zrunnions 27 of the oscillatory yoke, so that time, prevent excessive wabbling of the switch blade assembly 28 on the trunnion 27.' By reason of this bracing and guiding of the oscillatory switch blade by the guide element 20, the switch blade can be loosely mounted on the trunnion 27, and no special care and attention is required to make the connection of the switch blade with the oscillatory yoke with the result that an expensive connection between these two parts is entirely eliminated.

It will, of course, be obvious that instead of forming this insulated guide 20, as an element separate and distinct from the insulated casing 10, it may be formed or mounted integral with the casing in the form of a thinweb integral with the bottom and ends of the casing with its diagonally opposite corners removed or otherwise formed to permit properelectrical connection between the oscillatory switch blade and the stationary contacts.

'It is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from `the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim;

'1. A snap switch mechanism comprising a casing having a cavity, the'end walls of said cavity Ihaving slotsand stationary contacts, a guide member extending longitudinally in said cavity and having its ends received in said slots, said contacts overlapping said slots to prevent vertical displacement of said guide, an oscillatory multi-ply contact blade loosel mounted for lateral play and having its plies straddling said guide member,`said guide member having its diagonally dis osed corners removed for the projection o said stationary contacts and for engagement of the plies of said contact blade with the stationary contacts, and operating means for said blade connected therewith.

2. A sna switch mechanism comprising a casing having a cavity, the end walls of said cavity havin slots and stationary contacts, a guide memier extending longitudinally in said cavity and having its ends received in said slots, said contacts voverlapping said slots to prevent vertical displacement of said guide member, an oscillatory multi-ply contact blade loosely mounted for lateral play andhaving its plies straddling said guide member, 'and operating means for said blade associated therewith.

3. A snap switch mechanism comprising a casing having a cavity, the end walls of said cavity having slots and stationary contacts,

:l1-Lemme an oscillatory contact blade mounted on an axis between its ends and including a pair of juxtaposed arms arranged lpon opposite sides of said guide member, sai guide mem- 5 ber havin van intermediate cut-away portion in which t e intermediate portion of the eontact blade operates, and operating means for said blade associated therewith.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

NICHULAS J. WALSH. WILLIAM L.' BUTLER. 

